During Crimea Platform Summit at the UN, Zelensky urges world to resist normalizing Russian occupation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned against allowing Russia’s war and illegitimate occupation of Ukrainian territories to become normalized, addressing more than 60 participants at the Fifth Crimea Platform summit held on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York.
In his speech, Zelensky emphasized that the international community’s weak response to Russia’s 2014 occupation of Ukrainian Crimea enabled Moscow’s “addiction to war.” He argued that Russia’s illegal seizure of the peninsula “demonstrated to predators worldwide how easily they could take territory from other nations”.
“There must be no normalization of Russia’s war or of Russia’s brashness to wage it,” Zelensky said.
The Зresident emphasized that it was in Ukrainian Crimea that Russia violated one of the fundamental rules of normal life between countries, and that these actions showed many predators in the world how easily a part of another state can be seized.
“Ukraine is home to many peoples, and especially to the indigenous people of Crimea — the Crimean Tatars,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “This is a people who can truly feel what home means only in Crimea. Russians have many places in their vast territory where they can feel at home. But that is never, never, never enough for them.”
The Ukrainian leader highlighted the particular suffering of Crimea’s indigenous Crimean Tatar People, noting that some prisoners have been deprived of their freedom since 2014 – nearly 11 years. He described Crimean Muslims as among the main targets of Russian repression in occupied territories.
Volodymyr Zelensky reminded the countries that civilians suffer the most from Russia’s attempt at annexation of Crimea. Russia constantly persecutes and represses residents of the peninsula for their right to self-expression, their desire for freedom, and even their religious beliefs. Many Crimean prisoners have been held since 2014.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine is taking steps to prevent Crimea from becoming a large Russian military base, which is why Ukrainian long-range drones are hitting Russian logistics and military targets.
The president noted that civilians suffer the most from the occupation of Crimea. Russia constantly persecutes and represses residents of the peninsula for their right to self-expression, their desire for freedom, and even their religious beliefs. Many Crimean prisoners have been held in custody since 2014.
The President also said that Ukraine is taking steps to prevent Crimea from becoming a large Russian military base, which is why Ukrainian long-range drones are hitting Russian logistics and military targets.
Zelensky called for continued sanctions coordination among partners. He also thanked participants for maintaining sanctions and urged the international community not to allow killings and occupation to become something “the world can simply turn a blind eye to.”
“So, Ukraine’s main message is this: Do not allow war to become part of the norm,” the president concluded. “Russia is very eager to make war a new norm. And that is what we must resist — not allowing murders and Russian occupation to become something the world can simply turn a blind eye to.”
By way of background, the Fifth Summit of the International Crimean Platform was the first to take place on the world stage — on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
